Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a targeted syntax intervention on the ability of Deaf children with an incomplete first language to produce subject-verb-object (SVO) sentence structure in American Sign Language (ASL). Method: This was a single-subject AB design with follow-up. Participants were two Deaf children ages 8 and 9 with language difficulties in both ASL and English. The independent variable was a targeted intervention that utilized visuals to help teach word order. The dependent variable was the participants’ ability to produce SVO structure in ASL. Results: Both participants made significant gains in their ability to produce SVO structure in ASL. One participant reached the criterion of 9/10 in 6 sessions and the other participant in 10 sessions. Intervention demonstrated a therapeutic effect that was maintained in follow-up sessions. Conclusion: This intervention is a quick and effective way to help young Deaf children with language deprivation learn to produce basic word order in ASL. Future research should investigate the use of this intervention on Deaf children within a wider age range and who have additional disabilities. It would be useful to examine the efficacy of this intervention when trialed with a more representative population of Deaf students.
